The review of the product safety and market surveillance package is currently blocked as Member States are split on the question of introducing a mandatory country of origin marking for products. BEUC is concerned this will lead to an unacceptable delay of the adoption of the package. New innovative instruments which will ensure better traceability such as indicating the full address of the manufacturer and importer on the product should be introduced as soon as possible.

On February 2013, the European Commission published a product safety and market surveillance package consisting of a proposal for a Market Surveillance Regulation, a proposal for a Consumer Product Safety Regulation which will revise the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) and a multi-annual Action Plan on market surveillance.

Many of BEUC’s suggestions to improve the proposal have been addressed by the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection’s committee which voted on 17 October last year. The committee reintroduced the ‘precautionary principle’ called for a pan-European injury database, ensured the safety of products which appeal to children, clarified that all channels of distribution are covered including online sales and decided that consumers should be immediately warned about products which pose a risk.

Unsafe consumer products, including products bearing the ‘CE’ mark, are often found on the EU market and so require recall. They pose an avoidable risk to health and safety.